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tabling member constituency

Strangford

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2017-03-27

answer › answering member › label

Biography information for Rory Stewart

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<p>The Kajaki Dam was financed by the US Government. In the summer of 2008 UK military
forces were involved in delivering a third turbine to the dam. DFID, however, was
not involved, and has not been involved in the dam.</p>

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions
officials in her Department have had with (a) the Lead Ammunition Group and (b) the
Austrian government on prohibiting the use of lead shot.

<p>The Lead Ammunition Group did not include Defra or Food Standards Agency members,
reflecting its independent status. Defra has had no discussions with the Austrian
Government on this matter.</p><p> </p>

<p>Our long-term national strategy to manage Ash Dieback is based on science, international
best practice and the advice of the UK Chief Plant Health Officer.</p><br /><p>We
are protecting non-infected areas and have invested over £21 million in tree health
research. Restrictions on the movement of ash, both inland and from other countries,
are currently in place.</p><br /><p>The Government-funded screening trial of 155,000
ash saplings is unprecedented in its scope and the UK is leading the way on the work
to identify resistant strains. Collectively, our research is aimed at identifying
the genetic basis for natural tolerance and screening our native ash trees for genetic
markers. Work is also underway to further our understanding of the pathogen, how it
spreads and local management approaches to protect individual, high value trees.</p><br
/><p>Our surveillance programme involving Government, industry, conservation groups
and the public enables us to monitor the disease and to target resources effectively.</p>

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent
discussions she has had with representatives of countryside organisations on the effect
of the numbers of badgers on numbers of hedgehogs.

<p>Defra is working with partners to identify actions that will help the conservation
of hedgehogs, particularly though the Terrestrial Biodiversity Group chaired by Natural
England. The reasons for the decline of the hedgehog population are complex. Badgers
are one of a number of potential factors in the decline in hedgehog numbers.</p>

<p>We all want beaches which are clear of litter and rubbish. Local Authorities and
other land managers have a duty to keep their land clear of litter and refuse: this
includes beaches above the high water mark. The Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse
sets out the standards we expect them to achieve. It recognises that cleaning beaches
can present particular challenges because of the terrain, accessibility and the need
to be sensitive to habitats.</p><p>Defra works with and supports the work of Keep
Britain Tidy, which runs the globally-recognised Blue Flag beach award in England.
This year, 61 beaches in England were awarded a Blue Flag, and 111 achieved the new
Seaside Award (formerly the Quality Coast Award), with 31 beaches achieving both awards.</p><p>
</p>

<p>In England, there are provisions under Section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside
Act 1981 which allow for the control of wild birds, such as birds of prey, to conserve
other wild birds e.g. songbirds. Licence applications are dealt with on a case by
case basis and priority must be given to non-lethal methods.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><p>There is however no evidence that predation of songbirds by birds of prey is
a major contributory factor in their decline at a national scale.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There are no provisions under the Wildlife and Countryside
Act 1981, which permit licences to be granted to control birds of prey to protect
racing pigeons.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As nature conservation is a devolved
matter, the Department for the Environment of Northern Ireland should be approached
regarding its wildlife legislation and policy regarding the control of birds of prey.</p><p>
</p>

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will
issue clear guidance that buzzard control licences should be granted to gamekeepers
or organisations whenever the criteria for applications for such licences are met.

<p>Licences to control buzzards are issued by Natural England on the Secretary of
State’s behalf in accordance with the Government’s policy on wildlife management.
Following the recent McMorn judgment in the High Court, which quashed a licencing
decision taken in 2014 relating to buzzards, Natural England is revising the guidance
on dealing with these types of application and once completed, the guidance will be
publicly available.</p>

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what meetings
her Department has had to ascertain whether birds of prey predate on other birds of
prey in order to inform her policies on bird conservation.

<p>Bird of prey predation on other birds of prey is considered rare, occurring occasionally
through territorial contact or nest defence where there is inter-species competition
for space. Consequently no Department meetings have taken place to discuss the matter.</p>

<p>Like all wild birds, the bittern is protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act
1981. Under this Act it is an offence to kill or injure any wild bird; take, damage
or destroy the nest of any wild bird while that nest is in use or being built; and
take or destroy an egg of any wild bird.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Bittern habitat
is also protected and improved through being designated and managed as Special Protection
Areas under the EU Habitats Directive, and as Sites of Special Scientific Interest.</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In 1994 Natural England (then English Nature) initiated a Bittern
Recovery Programme. By 2012 restoration of approximately 2500 hectares of bittern
reed-bed habitat at 80 sites across the UK had been achieved. This resulted in an
increase of bittern numbers, from a 1997 low of 11 males to a high of 140 males in
2014.</p><p> </p>

<p>Gulls, like all wild birds, are protected by provisions in the Wildlife and Countryside
Act 1981. There is however an established system of licensing to allow for the control
or disturbance of certain wild birds, such as the herring gull or lesser black backed
gull, for specific reasons, such as preserving public health and safety.</p><p>This
licensing regime, administered by Natural England within England, provides an effective
structure within which authorised persons (i.e. landowner or occupier) and local authorities
can take appropriate action to tackle problems they are experiencing; it provides
a range of methods that can be used to manage birds humanely and permits adult population
control, nest clearance and egg control.</p><p>In addition to the licensing provisions,
effective long-term management requires the elimination or reduction of readily accessible
food and roosting/nesting sites. A co-ordinated approach to waste disposal by local
authorities, businesses, residents and visitors will make a valuable contribution
to relieving gull problems.</p><p> </p>